1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information filing apparatus for registering a large number of image information of documents and drawings which can then be retrieved and selectively read-out upon request.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been introduced for practical use an information filing apparatus (a document filing apparatus) for registering a large number of image information of documents and drawings which can be optionally read-out.
Such a known information filing apparatus comprises an information file adopted in the form of a mass storage device, e.g. an optical disk, for storing the image information in great volumes and a retrieval file, e.g. a magnetic disk, in which retrieval information is stored for registering and retrieving the image information in relation with the information file, so that the image information can be registered, retrieved and read-out optionally.
For instance, image information, when being registered, is inputted by an image information reading device, e.g. a scanner, and stored it into the information file. Then, a keyword as retrieval information is inputted from a keyboard or multiple item input equipment such as disclosed in Japanese patent application. Laid-Open No. 60-87486 (1985) and stored into the retrieval file in relation to the address data from the information file in which the image information is stored.
On the other hand, by inputting the keyword as retrieval information, the address information is fetched from the retrieval file to retrieve the registered image information and thus, the image information is read-out from the information file based on the address information.
One of the most important factors for the information filing apparatus is to faciliate the input operation of keywords as retrieval information.
For the purpose, an invention such as disclosed in the aforesaid Japanese patent application Laid-Open No. 60-87486 (1985) has been proposed in the form of a multiple item input equipment by which the keywords can be inputted. Such a multiple item input equipment allows only the limited number of keywords to be inputted. Therefore, there is disadvantage that it cannot correspond to an increase in the number of required items for keyword according to the incremental amount of information to be registered by the user.